Sikhs in US raise $400,000 to create awareness about Sikhism

San Francisco, CA: Sikhs in the US and around the world have been often misjudged or wrongly identified and subjected to harassment by people with little understanding of Sikhism. Efforts have been underway, especially after 9/11 attacks, to create awareness about the Sikh faith and the followers of Sikhism.

In a very first time in the fund raising efforts of Sikhs, the organization committed to creating awareness about their faith in America, has been able to raise $400,000. This is the first time, Sikhs have raised this amount of money to spread the awareness about their faith in America.

“This is a historic moment for the Sikh community in America. Never before have we had the opportunity to tell our story to our fellow Americans and that time has come now,” said, Kaval Kaur, National charter member of National Sikh Campaign(NSC). Previous record is of USD 90,000 in NSC’s Los Angeles Gala last year.

At a fund raising gala in San Francisco Bay Area, television advertisements created by AKPD, former President Obama’s campaign media team, were unveiled, a statement said. Last year, National Sikh Campaign had hired the services of AKPD and Hart Research Associates which is headed by Geoff Garin, Hillary Clinton’s former chief strategic advisor, to develop the messaging and framework of these advertisements.

Among the attendees were prominent Sikh entrepreneurs, leading Silicon Valley IT professionals, Medical doctors, owners of trucking companies and officials of all gurdwaras in the area. “We, Sikhs, need to change the narrative and present the correct image of who we are, showcasing how we are totally integrated in the American society and not only as victims,” said Rajwant Singh, co-founder of National Sikh Campaign, who presented the overview of the campaign and appealed to the audience to donate for the cause.

Reports here state that the Sikhs in the US are increasing their efforts for a national media campaign to generate awareness among Americans about their religion in the backdrop of increasing hate crimes against the community.

Republican hopeful Donald Trump, known for his caustic remarks and attitude towards Muslims, refugees and certain ethnicities, had recently attacked a Sikh man. Why? Because of the latter’s turban. The Sikh man was escorted out of a Donald Trump rally at Muscatine High School, Iowa.

This happened after the man interrupted Trump’s speech by displaying a banner that read ‘Stop Hate’. Trump then pointed to the crowd, referring to the protester and another person accompanying him, and said, “He wasn’t wearing one of those hats, was he? And he never will, and that’s OK because we got to do something folks because it’s not working.”